Silence
by AlekPixi
Summary: Before the Kira-case, Ryuzaki met a girl at the local café. Her name was Alexandra, and at that time, neither of them knew, that the meeting would change their lifes forever. Rated T for blood & death. Timeline a little screwed up. Mild spoilers.
1. 01

Silence 01

Ryuzaki stood in front of Watari, silent. He remembered his time at several orphanages, and his time at the Wammy House. And when he came to Tokyo, and that café, a long time ago.

"What's the matter, Ryuzaki?" Watari looked calmly at the boy, almost a man. He was standing there, silent, head lowed.

"What is it?" Watari asked again. No answer.

-Flashback-

Ryuzaki looked around. The café he usually went to was overcrowded today. He was wet from the rain outside, his hands shaking and teeth clattering. He held tightly onto his cup of cappuccino, trying to spot an empty seat. He walked around a little, but still with no luck. Then he heard a voice rising in the noise from the other customers.

"Hey, mister, you can sit over here if you want to!" At the same time, a man, probably in his thirties, rose from his seat. Ryuzaki nodded as a "thanks", and sat in the now empty seat. He took a sip of his cappuccino, and noticed, that someone else was there. A girl, probably around 13 years old, was sitting in front of him nose deep in some books. Ryuzaki couldn't help but looking secretly at them – the books, of course.

It's math books… But it's summer vacation…

Suddenly, the girl looked straight at him. They were face-to-face, and now Ryuzaki looked closely at the girl. She had shoulder length, black hair tied in a ponytail, but the hair in front of her forehead looked even longer than Ryuzaki's. Maybe because Ryuzaki's was messy, while the girls hair was straight. Her brown-green eyes looked directly into his black-grey. She was a little tanned, more than Ryuzaki anyway.

"Hi." the girl said, not looking happy, or angry. Just bored.

"Hello." Ryuzaki said, his voice trembling a little, he didn't know the girl after all.

"Ah, I know! Maybe you can help me?" the girl said, padding the math book. "You look smart, so you should be able to help me!" then, she froze. "I mean… if you don't mind." She said, looking down.

"What is it?" Ryuzaki asked. The girl quickly looked up at him again. Ryuzaki smiled. The girl sighed, relieved that he would help her. She handed him the book.

"It's problem number 10. I don't get it. Would you explain it to me?" the girl asked nervously. Ryuzaki read the problem, solved it in no time, and then explained it to the girl.

"Oh, now I get it! Thanks!" For the first time, the girl smiled. "Then, I'm done for today." She closed the book, and put it in her bag.

"I'm Alexandra, by the way. Alexandra Maria Tsukasa." The girl gave Ryuzaki her hand. "And you are…?"

"Ryuzaki. Just Ryuzaki." he said, shaking Alexandra's hand.

"Ya know, you're really good at math! Unlike me, I really suck at it!" Alexandra said, laughing.

"Oh, I see." Ryuzaki said, also laughing.

Soon, he learned that Alexandra had studied at the café all summer vacation. That was 2 weeks. She only had 4 weeks left, until she had to go back to school, which meant she had to get better at math and P.E. The girl was physically fit, but, as she explained, she was still the weakest in her class when they had P.E.

"It's bugging me, y'know. I always lose when we have a race, and because of such stupid things, they won't really let me do anything when we're playing soccer or something like that." she said, sighing. "But what about you, Ryuzaki? All I know about you is your name! Tell me a little bit about yourself!" Ryuzaki thought really hard. He couldn't tell her that he was "L", the great detective.

"Well, I've won some championships in tennis, and I hardly ever go to school, because I already know everything they teach." he told.

"Wow! So you're a kind of a prodigy, or what?" Alexandra asked. Ryuzaki nodded.

"That's so cool! But then, what are you doing when you don't go to school?" she asked.

_Then I'm solving mysteries…_ Ryuzaki thought.

"Then I'm playing tennis, going to town, or reading. Such things." he said.

"But, don't you get bored?"

"Nope."

"Then, don't you ever get lonely?"

"Well, a little, sometimes." Ryuzaki murmured.

"Hey, I know! You don't have any plans for this summer, do you?" Alexandra asked.

I just solved a case, so no, I've got some time…

"No, I don't have plans. Why?" he asked.

"Then we could play tennis together!" Alexandra stated. "And you could help me with the math, if you don't mind."

"Why not?" Ryuzaki smiled. Alexandra let out a small "yay!".

"Then, when do we meet?" she asked.

"What about right here, tomorrow at 12 o'clock?" Ryuzaki asked.

"Sure! That sounds great!" Alexandra said. Then, she looked at her watch.

"Oh, my. It's already a quarter past 5! I've gotta hurry, or I'll miss the subway!" she said, looking out of the window.

"I can call Watari, then we can drive to the station. Then you won't get soaked because of the rain."

"Who's Watari?"

"The guy who's taking care of me and such stuff, like cooking and cleaning."

"That would be great, Ryuzaki!" Alexandra said. Ryuzaki nodded, pulling out a small cell phone. He talked with Watari for about a minute, and then hung up.

"He's coming." he said, rising from his seat.

"Nee, Ryuzaki." Alexandra said, taking her bag. "Could I have your phone number? Just in case, y'know." She smiled cheerfully.

"OK. Hand me your phone." Ryuzaki got Alexandra's phone. It was red, and a little scratched. He soon retuned it to her.

"Thanks." she said, smiling even more. They got outside of the café, just as a black car arrived.

"Take a seat." Ryuzaki smiled. Alexandra nodded. It was a huge car, like a limousine. An elderly man was at the drivers seat.

"I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Watari." the man said.

"I'm Alexandra. A pleasure to meet you, Watari-san."


	2. 02

Silence 02

The next day, Ryuzaki already showed up at the café at 11 a.m. He ordered a milkshake and stood out in front of the café. He was wearing his usual oversized shirt, white with long sleeves, and a pair of blue pants. He had brought his gym-clothes with him in a bag, in case they should play tennis. When it was 11:45, Alexandra came running towards him.

"Ryuzaki-kun!" she squealed.

"Hey…" Ryuzaki didn't get the time to say more, before she glomped him.

"Oh, I almost couldn't sleep last night! I thought about you!" Alexandra said. Ryuzaki blushed a little.

"Really?" he asked. Alexandra nodded. Ryuzaki smiled and patted her on the head. She was 13, he was 16. It seemed to be a nice day, sunny, with some white clouds spread over the sky.

"Let's go to the tennis-field. I'd like to test your skills." Ryuzaki said. Alexandra nodded, and they began to walk. There was a place three streets away, where you could play tennis for free. They went into the hall, and came out in their gym-clothes. Alexandra's were white and blue, Ryuzaki's white and red.

"OK, I'm ready!" Alexandra said happily. "You serve, Ryuzaki-kun." Ryuzaki nodded, pulling out a tennis-ball and serving. It went flying 2 centimetres by Alexandra's racket.

"Wow." Alexandra mumbled, serving. Soon, the game had seriously begun, and Ryuzaki noticed that Alexandra wasn't so bad at tennis. When they had a short break, he was the first to speak.

"You're pretty good at this. Why do you say that you're not good at P.E.?"

"Well, you see… We almost never play tennis, and when we do, none of the others take it seriously. So I don't really ever train it." she explained. Ryuzaki nodded.

"Hey, Ryuzaki…" Alexandra said a little later. "Can I sleep at your house tonight?" Ryuzaki stared bewildered at her. "It's just, I don't want to spend another night all alone."

"Alone? What about your parents?" Ryuzaki asked.

"My mom died when I was born. And my dad is at the hospital. He's been there for about two months, so I'm kinda on my own." Alexandra looked down. Ryuzaki looked worried at the girl.

"Okay. You can sleep at my place tonight." he said.

"Really?! Thank you so much!" Alexandra said, smiling.

"It's just that… I live at a hotel."

"Why?"

"Well, Watari and I travel a lot, so we don't really live anywhere." Ryuzaki explained.

"Hey, now that I remember it… Where are your parents, Ryuzaki?" Alexandra asked.

"I don't have any. I don't know what happened to them, but I've always lived at orphanages, until Watari became my guardian." Ryuzaki said. Alexandra was stunned.

"Sorry." she mumbled.

"No, it's OK. I never knew them after all." Ryuzaki said. "But come on, we have a match to finish!" he smiled. Alexandra nodded, smiling too. She grabbed her racket and stood up.

"The one who loses buys milkshakes!" she exclaimed, running to the tennis-field.

"He-hey…!" Ryuzaki said, standing and reaching out for the girl, but it was too late.

"Come on, Ryuzaki-kun!" she shouted happily. Ryuzaki smiled and followed.


	3. 03

Silence 03

When the match was over, and she had changed into her normal clothes, Alexandra waited outside the men's dressing room. Finally, Ryuzaki came out, his hair soaked. Alexandra sighed and pulled out a new towel (she had brought a spare-towel, just in case.). She reached out for Ryuzaki's head and pulled it down.

"What is it?" he asked, slightly confused. Alexandra began to dry his hair gently with the towel.

"You're still wet." she smiled. She laid the towel over Ryuzaki's head, and he began to dry it – the hair, of course.

"Thanks." he mumbled, making Alexandra giggle. "Watari will be here soon. We better get ready."

"Yes, you're right." she said, grabbing her bag. Ryuzaki handed her the towel, and they got outside to wait for Watari to pick them up.

"Hey, Ryuzaki…" Alexandra said. "You don't look Japanese. Do you know where your family's from?"

"You noticed?" Ryuzaki asked. No one had ever figured out that he wasn't Japanese.

"Of course I did!" Alexandra said.

"Well, to put it simply, then the orphanage came to the conclusion that at least one of my parents was English. That's all I really know." Ryuzaki explained. Alexandra nodded. "But you don't look Japanese either. Where are you from?" Ryuzaki asked.

"Well, my mother was Danish, and my father is from Morocco, but he grew up in Israel and France. So I'm not Japanese at all. But my dad and I moved to Japan from Denmark when I was three… Maybe four years old." Alexandra said.

"I see. So you don't speak Danish?"

"A little. My dad taught me. And I'm also pretty good at English, and he was teaching me French, until he became ill. He says that I'm a genius at languages." Alexandra smiled.

"Then you must be in the top of your class in English in school?" Ryuzaki asked.

"Yep. But it's not one of the things that makes you popular or anything like that. Actually, it marks me as a strange person."

"But admit it; you _are_ strange." he smiled. Alexandra gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder.

"Hey, don't mock me!" she laughed.

"Yes, yes."

"Don't "yes, yes" me! I'm not that kind of girl!"

"I know. Oh, there's Watari!" Ryuzaki pointed at the black car from the day before. Alexandra waved, as Watari came out of the car.

"Good afternoon, Ryuzaki, Alexandra-san." the elder man said.

"Good afternoon." Ryuzaki smiled.

"Hello, Watari-san." Alexandra said.

"Watari, Alexandra will sleep at the hotel with me tonight. Can you get a room for her?" Ryuzaki asked.

"I'll try to get one when we get back to the hotel. Please, have a seat." Watari opened the door, and they got in.

"Wow. This car is amazing!" Alexandra said under her breath.

"You also said that yesterday." Ryuzaki said.

"Yeah, but it's awesome!" Alexandra looked around. It was a neat car indeed.

"We will be at the hotel soon. Please get ready." Watari said from the drivers seat.

When they got to the hotel, Alexandra became even more amazed.

"This building is freaking _huge_!" she said while looking at it, making her neck hurt.

"Hey, did you ever live in Osaka? You are using a lot of slang and such." Ryuzaki asked.

"You're smart, Ryuzaki. Yeah, I lived in Osaka a year ago. I lived there for two years. So I guess I got the slang from there." Alexandra said, rubbing the back of her head.

"So, do you like Tokyo?"

"Yeah, it's super cool!"

"I'm glad you like it. Let's go; Watari is already in there." Ryuzaki stated and began to walk.

"Hey, wait for me!" Alexandra ran up to him, and they entered the hotel.


	4. 04

Silence 04

"No rooms? Then what shall we do?" Alexandra asked herself. Watari had just told them that every hotel room was booked, so they had to find another way.

"Well, if you don't mind, then you can sleep in my room?" Ryuzaki said. Alexandra looked at him with big eyes.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes. It's a two-person bed, so there's room enough for both. But of course, most girls want their own bed, so…"

"Like I said before; I'm not that kind of girl! It's totally OK with me." Alexandra said, looking serious.

"You sure? Well, okay then. What about spare clothes?"

"Does the hotel have a pyjamas?" she asked.

"Well, I brought my own, so there is a spare, but it's in my size." Ryuzaki said. They had begun to walk up the stairs. The hotel was nice, with warm colours and comfortable-looking furniture.

"That's OK. I'm used to oversized cloth." Alexandra smiled. They entered the room, and Alexandra froze, stunned.

"The building is huge, and so is this room!" she said, looking around. It was with two rooms; a living-room-like one, a bedroom and a bathroom.

"You think?" Ryuzaki asked, dumping his bag next to the door.

"Yeah!" Alexandra said, imitating Ryuzaki.

"I'll go look for a pyjamas." Ryuzaki said, disappearing into the bedroom. Alexandra nodded and walked over to the couch.

"Just call if you need anything." Watari said. Alexandra nodded, and Ryuzaki said "Yes." With that, Watari leaved.

"Where's he off to?" Alexandra asked.

"Another hotel. We live at different place because of my work." Ryuzaki said, coming out of the bedroom, holding up a small pyjama.

"I found one in kid size." he smiled.

"Cool! Thanks!" Alexandra said cheerfully. "What is your work, Ryuzaki?" she asked.

"Err… It's…" Ryuzaki began. "It's a secret. I can't tell you yet."

"Eh? Why? Are you a FBI-agent or something like that?" Alexandra asked. Ryuzaki shook his head.

"Nope. But close to. But, as I said, I can't tell you yet."

"Damn." Alexandra scoffed. Ryuzaki smiled sadly. _It's too bad… Your mathematic abilities are not so good, but I think you could be a great detective._ he thought.

"I'll call for some dinner." he said, heading for the phone. But he suddenly stopped. "Unless you want to eat out?" he asked, turning to her.

"Really? That doesn't happen often! Are you sure?" she asked, or more like squealed.

"Yeah. It's been a long time for me too. I normally eat at the hotel, and I don't really eat normal food. I always eat candy and cakes and… Well, you know what I mean."

"What? You only eat sweets?! Then, how do you keep being so thin?!" Alexandra asked.

"You won't gain weight if you use your head." Ryuzaki mumbled.

"Seriously?! Cool!" Alexandra said. Ryuzaki smiled, and then took out his cell phone.

"I'll call Watari. Where do you want to eat?" Ryuzaki asked. Alexandra thought for a moment. Then a light bulb appeared inside of her mind.

"What about that restaurant in Shibuya?" she asked, pointing at nowhere in particular.

"There's many restaurants in Shibuya, _baka_." Ryuzaki said in a teasing tone, laughing.

"Whatever. If Watari drives, then I'll lead the way." Alexandra said, turning her eyes. Then she blinked.

"Come to think of it…" she began. "If Watari just drives us to that coffee shop, where we met earlier this day, then I have an idea." she smiled.

_Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_ Ryuzaki thought.

"Okay." he said. "Why not?" He called Watari, and they quickly went downstairs to meet him. They drove to the café, and promised Watari to be back there at 11 p.m.

"C'mon, Ryuzaki! Hurry up!" Alexandra laughed, beginning to jog around the corner. Ryuzaki followed her, until she suddenly stopped. Ryuzaki looked around. It was a bus stop, with a few flats and a road.

"What are we doing here?" he asked.

"We're gonna ride… this!" Alexandra said happily, pointing at a purple bike. Ryuzaki had a "what the fuck?!"-expression on his face, which made Alexandra sigh.

"I'll drive, don't worry. We're gonna drive to a restaurant close to where I live. They have the best ramen ever!" she happily exclaimed, then jumped on the bike. It was obviously too big for her, but she looked confident. Ryuzaki shrugged and sat behind her.

"Wear this. I don't want you to get hurt." she said, giving him a helmet. "I've always got an extra, just in case. I hang 'em on the steer." She took one for herself, popping it onto her head. Ryuzaki's was black with a white lightning, Alexandra's blue with black and purple stars.

"Are you sure that this is safe?" Ryuzaki asked.

"Sure. We've got helmets, remember?" Alexandra giggled. "Okay! Hold on tight!" she yelled, and suddenly the bike began to move.

_Now I've got a bad feeling again…_ Ryuzaki thought, hugging Alexandra tightly, feeling her giggle. _But it's okay…As long as you're here._


	5. 05

Silence 05

Ryuzaki and Alexandra stopped in front of an old-looking restaurant, with a sign that said "Hotaru Ramen". Ryuzaki was still shaking from the ride, but Alexandra just laughed.

"Was it that bad?" she asked giggling.

"Let me say it like this: I'll drive next time." Ryuzaki said. He still remembered them almost being run over by a car, almost colliding with a light pole, and almost running a cat over. And a lot of other things.

"C'mon, let's get inside! My treat, since you're letting me sleep at your hotel tonight!" Alexandra grinned, shoving Ryuzaki into the small restaurant. It looked old, but it was nice and warm. Alexandra found them a table, and a waiter came. There were only few people tonight, so it went fast. Alexandra and Ryuzaki ordered, and the ramen were on their table five minutes later.

"Wow. I don't eat ramen that often." Ryuzaki said.

"Well, this ramen is the best in Japan! Even Hokkaido can't beat it!" Alexandra proclaimed.

"Is that so? You have been to Hokkaido?" Ryuzaki said.

"Yeah, with my father, once. It was pretty boring."

"You don't seem like a person that would be easily bored."

"I'm not. But Hokkaido was _booooring._" Alexandra said theatrically. Ryuzaki laughed. Suddenly, Alexandra's phone began to ring.

"Is that… Caramelldansen?" Ryuzaki asked. Alexandra nodded, answering the phone.

"Yes? Yes, it's me. Yeah. What? No. No, I don't know. Okay. Yeah, I'm fine. Yeah. Bye." Alexandra hung up.

"May I ask who it was?" Ryuzaki said.

"My father." Alexandra said, eating more of her ramen. "He wanted to know if a letter has come to our house, because it wasn't in the hospital. I guess it's at my house, then." she said.

"Oh. By the way, if I may ask; Why are your father hospitalised?" Ryuzaki asked. The raven-haired girl suddenly froze. She looked down into her ramen, took a deep breath, and then looked at Ryuzaki again. But this time, she was more serious than he had ever seen her.

"He got shot." she said. "He works for the NPA. You remember that super-crazy mass murderer, who was being trailed by Interpol and that detective, I think his name was L? Well, when they found him, he started shooting and all that crap. And…" Alexandra breathed in. "… my dad was hit." Ryuzaki was stunned. Of course he remembered that; He was L, for gods sake! He remembered it clearly, Watari telling him that they had finally caught the criminal, but a policeman had been shot in the process. Ryuzaki sighed inwardly.

"Yeah, I… I saw that on the news. Weren't they saying that he might…"

"Die?" Alexandra finished his sentence. "Yes. That's right. Right now, he's able to talk. But the doctors say that he might die soon." Alexandra ate some more ramen.

"Then what about you?" Ryuzaki said.

"Umm… We close in about 15 minutes, so…" a waitress came over and said. She wore a traditional, Japanese kimono, and had her hair up in a bun.

"Roger that. We're finished, anyway." Alexandra smiled. "Right, Ryuzaki?"

"Yeah." Ryuzaki said. They both got out of the restaurant, and Alexandra grabbed a helmet.

"So, you said that you wanted to drive?" she asked. "Do you know how to ride a bike, Ryuzaki?"

"No," he said calmly. "but I'll just use my intention. It works every time."

"Whoa, are you sure that I don't have to drive? I know how to, at least."

"We were almost killing a cat last time. It's safer, if I'm the one riding it. You can sit behind, alright?" Ryuzaki said. Alexandra sighed and nodded. Ryuzaki got up on the bike, and Alexandra placed herself behind him, holding tight onto his waist.

"And here we go." Ryuzaki mumbled, as the bike began to move.


	6. 06

Silence 06

"Watch out!" Alexandra yelled, as Ryuzaki stopped about two centimetres from a light pole. "Are you nuts?! We damn made it!" she laughed. Ryuzaki breathed out and looked over his shoulder to face the raven-haired girl.

"We're here. What's the time?" he asked. Alexandra looked at her cell phone.

"10.59 pm. We just made it. Where's Watari-san?" she asked, looking around. "He'll probably be here soon. I'm gonna park the bike." She took Ryuzaki's helmet and parked the bike at a nearby restaurant. When she came back, there was still no sign of Watari. Ryuzaki talked on his cell phone.

"I see. We'll just wait, then." He hung up as Alexandra came over.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"There's a traffic jam at the hotel. We'll have to wait. It probably won't take long." Ryuzaki said.

"Okay then. So, tell me, Ryuzaki; what is your job?" Alexandra asked eagerly, totally changing the subject. Ryuzaki froze.

"Err… Well..." he said.

"Are you in the NPA? FBI? CIA?!" The girl became more and more eager for each suggestion. Ryuzaki placed a finger on her mouth, making her silent.

"Maybe I'll tell you one day. But it cannot be today, okay?" he said. Alexandra nodded.

"Okay. I trust you." she smiled. At that moment, a big, black car pulled over by the side.

"Watari…" Ryuzaki said. Alexandra nodded, and they got into the car.

When they arrived at the hotel, they could feel that they had driven a bike. They said goodnight to Watari, and hurried up to their hotel room. The time was close to midnight, so they changed into their pyjamas. Alexandra's was kid-size, but it was still too big, which made her giggle. Suddenly, a loud "Boom!" made her jump, squeaking of surprise. Ryuzaki laughed a little, then took her hand and let her over to the window. They could see the night sky be filled with colourful fireworks, disappearing quickly, just to be replaced with new ones.

"Did you forget? It's summer vacation. It's filled with fireworks, and tonight, they would make the greatest of all at midnight." Ryuzaki explained, putting his hands on Alexandra's shoulders, standing behind her.

"You're right. They are the greatest." Alexandra smiled, placing her hands on top of Ryuzaki's. For once, she felt safe. They watched the fireworks for a long time, and when the last ones faded away, they went into the bedroom. Alexandra snuggled into the duvet, as Ryuzaki placed his head gently on the pillow. Suddenly, Alexandra grabbed his arm and placed her head on his upper arm, sniggering. She closed her eyes peacefully, putting her hand on his chest. She inhaled the scent of the fabric his pyjamas were made of, sighing quietly.

"Ryuzaki…" she whispered.

"Yes?" Ryuzaki asked, a little sleepy.

"I'd wish that this would last forever. I don't want to go back to that empty house of mine." she sighed. Ryuzaki smiled, patting her on the head.

"Don't worry. You'll find your own house one day. Then you'll don't have to worry about your father."

He just didn't know, that that day was closer than he thought.


	7. 07

Silence 07

When Ryuzaki finally got out of his dreamland and opened his eyes the next morning, he stared directly into the black locks of Alexandra, who was still sleeping. Ryuzaki smiled and embraced her, feeling her muscles tense a little, before she relaxed again. She looked so… little. When she was awake, she was always smiling, and it seemed like she was able to take care of herself, as if she was an adult. But now, when she was asleep, she looked so helpless. Ryuzaki then thought about her father. He was dying. If he died, would Alexandra have anybody left? Her mom was dead, and her family was probably in Denmark. Her father was from Morocco, but his family would live in Israel or France. If her father died, would she have to go to another country? Learn a whole new language? Nobody should have to go through that, he thought. And… would they have to part? He had just met this girl a few days ago, but he wouldn't let her disappear out of his life. Not now.

"Ryuzaki-kun?" a blurred voice mumbled. Ryuzaki looked down into a pair of green brown eyes.

"Good morning." Ryuzaki smiled.

"Good morning." Alexandra mumbled, rubbing her eye. Ryuzaki rolled onto his other side, and sat up, finding his slippers.

"You better get dressed. If I know you right, then you'll drag me down to the town today, right?" he laughed.

"Wow. You must definitely be a detective!" Alexandra smiled, finding her clothes. When she came back from the bathroom, Ryuzaki was fully dressed, but his hair was still a mess.

"Wow. I admire your hair. It's so… spiky, in a good way." Alexandra said. Ryuzaki smiled, patting her on the head. Just then, Alexandra's cell phone began to ring. She quickly grabbed it.

"I don't know this number…" she mumbled. "Yes?" she asked into the phone. "Yes, that's me. Uh huh. What?! No way, you're kidding, right?! No, that can't… That can't be true! He was fine just yesterday… Okay. I understand. I'll be there soon." she said, hanging up. She stood silent for a moment, but then Ryuzaki saw something. Alexandra, the happy girl, who was always wearing a smile, was crying. Ryuzaki had already figured out why. He slowly approached her, hugging her silently from behind. She tugged his long sleeves, letting out soft sobs. Ryuzaki didn't know what to say, if he could say something at all. They stood there, silent, for what seemed like hours, but it was only a couple of minutes. Then Ryuzaki broke the silence.

"I'll go with you. You don't have to go alone." he said.

"Thanks." Alexandra whispered, drying her tears. "It's been a while since I've cried." she said and tried to smile. Ryuzaki took her hand and let her out.

"We'll walk. It's not far away." he said. The girl just nodded. When they came out of the hotel, the sky was grey and cloudy.

"What a coincidence." Alexandra mumbled, looking at it. Ryuzaki nodded. They began to walk, and they soon reached the hospital. Alexandra looked at it and took a deep breath. She walked quickly into the hospital, where she found the nurse who had promised to wait for her.

"I am so sorry." the nurse, whose name apparently was Risa Tachibana, said.

"Thanks. Please, let me see him a last time." Alexandra said. The nurse nodded, and Ryuzaki and Alexandra followed her. They entered a white room, with big windows and some beds. But the beds were empty, except for one.

"I suppose that you would like to be alone. I'll wait outside." Risa said.

"Thank you." Alexandra said. She walked over to the bed. A man, with raven hair, with some grey streaks, lied there. His eyes were closed, and he was smiling peacefully.

"Dad…" Alexandra mumbled. That was all she said. She stood in front of the bed for a long time, but she didn't cry. Suddenly, she felt Ryuzaki's hand on her shoulder.

"He looks a lot like you." he said.

"Yeah." Alexandra mumbled. "Let's go." She turned and went out. Ryuzaki looked one last time at the man, bowed, and followed Alexandra.

"I have some family in Israel. They've said that they'll pay the funeral, and arrange it, of course. Not that they will be there. It's too expensive. I'll probably be the only family, and then there'll maybe be some guys from the police." she mumbled as they went out of the hospital. "Maybe… I'll be the only one. So I might not go."

"Are you sure?" Ryuzaki asked. Alexandra nodded. "So… What are you going to do now?" he asked.

"I… actually don't know. I'm free. I have nowhere to go." she said. "I'm alone now." Ryuzaki looked at the little girl. She didn't have any family, at least not anyone who could take care of her. He made a quick decision, and took a deep breath.

"You're not alone, Alexandra." he said. Alexandra turned around so quick that Ryuzaki almost became scared.

"What?" she asked, eyes wide.

"I'll take care of you. And protect you. You can stay with me. And I'll teach you how to become a detective. You see…" he leaned down, so his mouth was close to her ear, and whispered; "I'm L." The girl froze, looking bewildered at the young man. "I was the one who sent your father out. So it is my fault that he got shot and died. The least I can do is to take care of you, his daughter. Will you follow me and be my apprentice?" he asked. Alexandra looked down.

"Yes. I don't have any other things to do with my life now. Ryuzaki… No, L…" she looked up, resolution burning strong in her eyes. "I'll follow you, and become your helper. Trust me."


	8. 08 end

Silence 08

When they had gone home to the hotel, Watari picked up Alexandra and Ryuzaki. He drove them to Alexandra's old house, where she got her stuff. She didn't have much, and didn't need much. She called her family, and by speaking English, they agreed that Alexandra would live at Ryuzaki's place. The family should take care of the house and all the paper work. Alexandra could actually just disappear, they would handle it all. Alexandra and Ryuzaki left the house for the last time, and Alexandra had no regrets. In the car, Ryuzaki explained Alexandra that he already had three boys at Wammy's House, his old orphanage, who were trying to become L's successor one day. But Alexandra was now number four, because even if her mathematic skills were low, she could still become a great detective, teached by L personally. They would advance her mathematic skills, and maybe, just _maybe_, she could succeed the three boys that Ryuzaki referred to as "Near", "Mello" and "Matt".

Ryuzaki had great influence on whole Japan, so he would fix Alexandra's "adoption" right away. And what surprised him the most was that she didn't look scared about it, nor exited. She was just accepting it as her new lifestyle.

"Aren't you scared at all?" he asked her.

"Scared of what?" she asked back, smiling. "This is the path that I have to choose. You've chosen it already, and as far as I can see, you aren't dead yet. And the only thing that I'm really scared about is dying. So I don't see why I should be scared. You're here, right?" she smiled. Ryuzaki nodded.

"You're more calm that I expected. I'm proud of you." he said.

"Why, thank you." Alexandra said. "So where are we going?"

"To another hotel. We can't stay at the same place for too long." Ryuzaki said.

"Ah, I understand. L-things and all that. Hey, can I get a fancy name too?" she asked.

"What are your initials?" Ryuzaki asked.

"A.M.T" Alexandra said.

"We already have an "A" at Wammy's house, but…" Ryuzaki looked at Watari. "I don't think that we have a "T". Do we, Watari?"

"No. We don't have a "T"." Watari said from the drivers seat.

"Fine. Then, if you will, you can be our new T." Ryuzaki said.

"Okay. T, huh? Fair." Alexandra said, looking up. "I'm gonna be the detective "T". Exiting." she mumbled.

"Are you ready?" Ryuzaki asked.  
"I'm always ready." Alexandra answered, smiling.

A year passed, and Ryuzaki and Alexandra had travelled to various countries, while L was solving one crime after another. Alexandra saw him in action, and she was quick to learn. Ryuzaki, or L, teached her math, and he found out that if she had the right teacher, she was very skilled. Soon, she started helping on the cases, either out in the field with Watari and the police, or inside a hotel room with Ryuzaki. She met a lot of people, like a woman, who also was a thief, called Wedy, and many others. She was never mentioned in the media, not even as "T", but she was fine with that, because, as she explained Ryuzaki, it made her more mystical. She soon stopped looking happy, much to Ryuzaki's worries. She never told him why, and when he asked, she just smiled sadly.

"It's nothing." she would say, and then continue on with her math or the case. But then, a day in November, working on a crime…

"Shit! He'll blow the building sky-high if you don't come to him, Ryuzaki!" Alexandra yelled, pointing at a computer with an email. They were in a dark hotel-room, with many TV's, computers and other technical stuff.

"I know. There's nothing to do. This time, I'll have to show myself." Ryuzaki said.

"What the fuck are you saying?!" Alexandra yelled, eyes wide. She had begun to swear more since Ryuzaki had first met her.

"This time I don't have a choice! I'm 100% sure!" Ryuzaki raised his voice, which he almost never did. Alexandra could see that he had a lot of pressure on him. She sighed.

"Then your deduction is wrong, Ryuzaki. Hand me the gun. Wedy's not here, and she forgot it last time." Alexandra said. Ryuzaki looked bewildered when handing it to her, but he didn't ask any questions. He had learned long ago, that Alexandra's weird plans worked. Well, most of the time, anyway. Alexandra grabbed the key for the motorcycle and began to walk to the door.

"What are you going to do?" Ryuzaki asked. Alexandra turned around to face him.

"I'm gonna put my life on the line, save you from a cruel death, kill the criminal, ride a motorbike for the first time in my life, and tell that sick guy that I'm L. Did I forget anything…?" Alexandra asked. "I don't think so…"

"No! Don't, Alexandra! You'll get killed!" Ryuzaki said. He was nearly shouting.

"I don't have a choice! And this is not the first time I'm putting my life on the line!" Alexandra shouted back.

"Putting your life on the line and doing something where there is a very high possibility of losing your life easily are polar opposites!" Ryuzaki shouted.

"Shut up!" Alexandra yelled. Ryuzaki was dead silent. She had never ordered him to keep quiet, hell, she had never ordered him to do anything at all.

"Ryuzaki-kun, I know that it's dangerous. That's why I'm doing it. The world can't afford to get you killed. Please, let me follow my own will, just this time." she said. "Please." With that, she ran out of the door before Ryuzaki could stop her.

"Wait!" he shouted. He knew it was no use; the girl could run faster than him. He began to look for keys for the other motorcycle, and when he found them, he hurried down the stairs of the hotel. When he came outside, one of their motorcycles was missing. Ryuzaki gritted his teeth and shoved the key into the other bike. The rain was pouring down, soaking him, as the night sky began to wake. He drove as fast as possible, and the police had already made their move. When he arrived, the scene was critical. Alexandra stood looking at the criminal, and he looked at her.

"Who the fuck are you?! Stand back, I want to speak to this goddamn L!" the criminal shouted.

"You're talking to her right now." Alexandra smirked. "I am L!" The criminal froze for a second. Then a sick smile grew on his lips.

"So you're L, huh?" he asked, pulling out a gun. "Would've never expected that he was so young, and even a girl!" Alexandra quickly pulled out her gun too.

"Actually, I'm T." she mumbled, as they began to shoot. Alexandra fired as many bullets as she could, and the criminal was hit. He only fired five, but they hit Alexandra directly in the stomach. She collapsed on the ground, blood pouring out over her T-Shirt. She coughed some blood up, as Ryuzaki came running to her. At the same time, a faint tolling of a bell could be heard. A church. A wedding, perhaps. Or maybe a funeral.

"Alexandra! Alexandra!" Ryuzaki screamed, pulling her into his arms. He pressed a hand on her wound to stop the bleeding.

"It's no use. This is game over for me." Alexandra whispered, smiling.

"No, Alexandra, it's not game over! Don't die, goddammit! I'm here, right? I promised that I would protect you!" Ryuzaki said, tears welling up in his eyes. "Don't leave me, Alexandra!"

"Nonsense…" Alexandra whispered, coughing more blood. "I wont ever leave you. I'll always be right here." She pointed at his heart, as her eyes began to close. "Thank you, Ryuzaki. And tell the others, that now they're down to three again." With that, her eyes closed completely, and she stopped breathing. Her hand fell down, and Ryuzaki began to tremble.

"No… No…" he whispered. "No!"

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, there was nothing left to do. The raven-haired girl was dead, and so was the criminal.

"Ryuzaki… She left us too early." Watari said, putting his hand on Ryuzaki's shoulder.

"No… She haven't left us… She never will." Ryuzaki mumbled, holding a hand on his heart, smiling sadly. "She never will."


End file.
